CHESHIRE Police’s Roads and Crime Unit (RCU) have joined forces with neighbouring forces in an operation targeting uninsured drivers along the M62 corridor.
The unit joined four fellow forces, the North West Motorway Police Group and the Motor Insurers Bureau in launching Operation Coast to Coast, a day of collaborative action tackling uninsured vehicles being used on one of Cheshire’s busiest motorways, the M62.
The M62 is the main route that connects the east and west coasts of northern England, running through five counties and connecting cities such as Chester, Manchester, and Leeds, and ports in Liverpool, and Hull. It is used by many Warrington motorists.
As part of the operation, over 90 road policing officers from Cheshire, West Yorkshire, Humberside, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside supported the North West Motorway Police and the Motor Insurers Bureau in conducting the operation across 220 miles of motorway running in both directions, giving uninsured drivers no place to hide from repercussions.
Keeping Cheshire’s roads safe for law-abiding motorists is business as usual for the Constabulary and officers have a number of tools at their disposal, such as the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology and the conducting of traffic stops in marked and unmarked vehicles, to catch uninsured drivers.
It is illegal to drive a vehicle on the road or in a public place without at least third-party insurance. Even if the vehicle is insured, if you’re not correctly insured to drive it you may be considerrf to be driving without insurance and could potentially be penalised.
Uninsured drivers could receive a fixed penalty of £300 and six points on their licence and, if the case goes to court, they could face an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy a vehicle if it’s being driven without insurance.
During the operation, officers were based at the Burtonwood service station near junction 8 of the motorway from 7am. Throughout the operation, officers engaged with members of the public at the service station and patrolled the motorway, conducting traffic stops on uninsured vehicles.
Officers also provided support to other forces that had spotted drivers coming in and out of Cheshire and into the neighbouring counties, with well over 250 vehicles stop-checked across the five counties.
In Cheshire, officers stopped a total of 67 vehicles, 43 of which were being driven without insurance. Officers also seized nine vehicles, issued 27 traffic offence reports and made two arrests – one involving an outstanding wanted suspect.
Inspector Anton Sullivan, of the Force’s Roads and Crime Unit, said the operation was not a one-off.
“Ensuring Cheshire’s roads are safe for motorists and targeting those who take the privilege of owning a vehicle for granted is business as usual for the Constabulary’s Roads and Crime Unit and it was great to see so many drivers on this particularly busy motorway properly insuring their vehicles.
“By engaging with drivers and explaining to them the laws and regulations surrounding vehicle insurance and educating them on the importance of adhering to those laws for their own and other road users’ safety, our officers are making a concerted effort to keep our roads and communities safe.”
Superintendent Saf Ali, added: “While driving without insurance may not seem like a serious crime, we know there is a strong link between the illegal use of vehicles and other serious and organised crime.
“This is why we are working together with our colleagues in Merseyside, GMP, West Yorkshire, and Humberside to send a clear message that police will not stop pursuing those who are intent on coming into and out of Cheshire and flouting the rules of the road.”
Nine drivers were also issued with a prohibition notice, which is given to vehicles with mechanical defects or insecure loads, that prevents them from using their vehicle until the issue has been rectified.
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